Canterbury and Margate-by-Sea Coach Trip on Sat. 7th Sept. (2 places in 1 day)

Join us on a coach trip to both Canterbury City and Margate-by-Sea (two places in one day). We'll be travelling by a privately-hired, executive air-conditioned coach. There'll also be a number of optional meeting points throughout the day, so no-one will be left by themselves for long periods of time.

Once again, my brother Terry and myself (Martyn) will be jointly hosting this event. This month we spent the entire day in Canterbury and Margate to ensure the very careful planning of the trip (just as we did for our for our very successful first trips to Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon). To view the detailed plan/itinerary you will need to scroll down past the beautiful photos of Canterbury and Margate. However, immediately below this paragraph we've also provided a brief description of the event:

BRIEF EVENT DESCRIPTION:

The coach will collect us at 8:30 am from Central London and our first stop will be the historic City of Canterbury (approximately 90 minutes from London). The world-famous 'Lonely Planet' travel book states "Canterbury tops the charts for English Cathedral Cities and is one of England's top attractions."

This beautiful city offers a rich slice through two thousand years of history. The skyline is dominated by the stunning Canterbury Cathedral - the oldest in England and one of the most famous religious structures in the world. Ancient ruins such as St Augustine's Abbey, St Martin's Church and Canterbury Castle, make this city a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hours can be spent wandering around the medieval alleyways and ancient city walls. The beautiful River Stour also runs through the city and the riverside gardens are a joy to explore.

Although Canterbury is a city steeped in history, it is also a modern and vibrant city with so much to experience. Many of the high street names are here as well as a wide range of independent retailers. The city has a thriving student population and there's a wide range of art shops and restaurants.

There's an exceptional friendly feel to Canterbury. The Complete University Guide 2012 ranks Canterbury as the safest university city in England and Wales.

During our visit to Canterbury, members will be given a 90 minute guided walking tour of the city which is included in the price (we've booked two tour guides because if the coach reaches full capacity there'll be too many people for a single guide). Attendees will also have approximately two hours additional free time in Canterbury (an hour before the guided tour and an hour afterwards).

SECOND COACH STOP - MARGATE-BY-SEA:

At 2:30 pm the coach will then take us to the quaint golden sands of Margate seaside resort (only 40 minutes from Canterbury).

Margate officially describes itself as 'The Oldest Seaside Resort in England'. When travel writers list the world's best beach resorts, they rarely include UK destinations. However, another world-famous travel writing company named 'Rough Guides' describes Margate as "one of the top ten places in the world to visit in 2013."

Rough Guides Web Editor states:"From the Turner Contemporary gallery to the proliferation of other indie art spaces, vintage shops and cute cafes in the Old Town, Margate now offers much more than its golden sands and seaside charm."

Let's be clear, we're certainly not claiming Margate is a world-class beach resort - but it has its own quaint charm and is a great way to experience a traditional English seaside town.

When we arrive in Margate at approximately 3:15 pm, attendees will have the option of joining the hosts on a very short walk/stroll along the sea front (and briefly into Margate Old-Town). There'll also be another optional meeting point at 4:30 pm at one of Margate's many pubs along the sea front (with outside drinking areas/beer gardens).

Attendees can also choose to visit Margate's new Turner Contemporary Gallery. The title commemorates the association of the town with noted landscape painter J.W Turner who went to school there, and visited throughout his life. The gallery has free entry and is only 5 minutes walk from the very central area. We'll be spending nearly three hours in Margate.

OPTIONAL LONDON NIGHT-OUT WHEN WE ARRIVE HOME AT 8PM:

We'll then leave Margate at 6:00 pm and return to London at approximately 8:00pm. Then attendees have the option of joining us at a great Central London pub for a night-out. This will give everyone the chance to continue socialising, discuss their day trip experience and continue making friends over a few drinks.

NOTE: We can only offer this trip to adults aged 18 and over due to concerns over increased legal responsibilities that may otherwise be involved.

Please scroll down past the beautiful photos of Margate and Canterbury below to read the full plan, itinerary and what's included in the price:

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http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/c/5/2/600_268875442.jpeghttp://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/d/2/e/600_268875662.jpeg
http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/e/6/e/600_268875982.jpeghttp://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/e/e/6/600_268876102.jpeg Full Plan/Itinerary and what's included in the price:

8:30 am - Coach pick up point at Temple Place, Victoria Embankment, Central London, WC2R 2PH. The pick-up-point is very near Temple Underground Station (see map link above and scroll down for a photograph of the exact location). We'll be travelling by an air-conditioned executive coach (included in the price). Please can everyone arrive by 8:15 am. The coach will only wait for a few minutes and we will be on our way just after 8:30 pm.

10:10 am - Approximate arrival time in Canterbury. The coach will drop us off at St George's Lane. This is the most central drop-off point in the city. As a group we'll then make the 5 minutes walk to Cathedral Gate. Attendees will then have over an hours free time to explore Canterbury until the guided walking tour begins. Note: If you plan to visit the inside of Canterbury Cathedral, please scroll down to read the paragraph titled 'Canterbury Cathedral' (although they do charge for entry).

11:30 am until 1:00 pm - Guided Walking Tour of Canterbury (included in the price). The tour will take approximately 90 minutes. The tour meeting point will be at the front of the Cathedral Gate (this location will be pointed out to you earlier so it will be easy to find).

1:00 pm until 2.15 pm - This is more free time for lunch and to continuing exploring Canterbury. We anticipate members will divide into small groups. However, members are more than welcome to join my brother and myself (we'll make sure no-one is left out). We'll be having lunch in the central area.

2.30 pm - The same coach will pick us up again and then take us to Margate. The pick-up point will be at exactly the same place from where we were dropped-off in Canterbury (St George's Lane). Please can everyone arrive by 2:20 pm.

3:15 pm - Arrive in Margate. The coach will drop us off along the very central seafront area. Attendees will then have the option of joining the hosts on a very short walk/stroll along the sea-front (and briefly into the Old Town). After the short stroll, we anticipate members will divide into small groups and continue exploring Margate. Once again, members are more than welcome to join my brother and myself who'll also be taking in the sites.

If you are considering visiting the new Turner Contemporary Gallery, please ensure you scroll down to read the separate paragraph below on the subject. We have decided against attending as a group (if the weather is fine we feel that it may be off-putting for members to be stuck indoors on what is a summer day at a seaside resort). However, please free to read the paragraph titled 'New Turner Contemporary Gallery' if you wish to plan your own visit. The Gallery has free entry and is located only 5 minutes from the centre.

4:30 pm until 5:45 pm - Optional meeting point at one Margate's many pubs. We will meet at exactly where the coach dropped us off when we arrived in Margate. We'll then walk to a suitable nearby pub. There are a number of possibilities (and we have already spoken to the management in many pubs when we visited Margate). However, it has not been possible to reserve an area on a Saturday as the town can be so busy (this is very common at major tourist locations and was also the case on our previous trips). So the pub we choose will be selected on the day (my brother Terry or myself will scout ahead 30 minutes before our optional meeting point to find a suitable pub that it is not too busy). There are many large pubs so we'll definitely find somewhere suitable (ideally one of the many pubs along the sea front with a beer garden/outside drinking area, if the weather is fine). This method worked exceptionally well on our previous day trips.

6:00 pm - Return journey home by the same executive coach. The pick-up point will be at 'exactly' the same place from where we were dropped-off by the coach (along the central seafront area). Please can everyone arrive by 5:50 pm.

8:10 pm - Approximate arrival time in London. The coach will drop us off at Temple Place (the same location from where we were originally picked-up at the start of our journey).

8:10 pm - Optional night-out at a beautiful family owned pub named Walkers of Whitehall in Central London. Walking to the pub will take approximately 15 minutes from the drop-off point. Those who are coming can walk with us together as a group. It's a nice walk, mainly along the riverside of the Thames.

Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest in Europe.This cathedral is known as the 'Mother Church of the Church of England and seat of the Primate of All England – the Archbishop of Canterbury'.

As part of the guided tour we'll be visiting the beautiful grounds directly outside this spectacular Cathedral. However, some members may also want to visit the magnificent interior.

Please note that visiting the inside of the cathedral is not part of the official itinerary for this day-trip. However, we have contacted the cathedral help-desk and they have informed us that visitors can pay on the day and do not need to pre-book. We were advised that the entry fee is £9.50 for adults (£8.50 Concessions). The cathedral is open all-day from 9:00 am until 5:30 pm. We do thoroughly recommend attendees check the official website if they plan to visit: http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/information/

While us hosts will not be visiting the cathedral interior on this occasion, the choice of whether or not to visit is entirely your choice. Please just be aware that there are so many other sites to see in Canterbury and our time is limited.

Margate's 'New Turner Contemporary Gallery'

Turner Contemporary Gallery is a new gallery intended as a contemporary art space and an impetus for the regeneration of the town. The title commemorates the association of the town with the noted landscape painter who went to school there, and visited throughout his life. The gallery has free entry and is only 5 minutes walk from the very central area. For more information on this gallery, please visit the official website: www.turnercontemporary.org (http://www.turnercontemporary.org/)

Emergency mobile phone numbers to contact during the day

Please take these two mobile phone numbers that you can ring during the day (please only ring if it is absolutely necessary). My number is 0757 8360117 (Martyn). My brother's number is 078466 39420 (Terry). We will also be unable to delay the coach arrival/departure time or other planned events as we have to adhere to a tight schedule.

Pick up Location Photograph Below - Temple Place, Victoria Embankment, London

(Also see map link above)

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Payments

All payments are to be made online via PayPal in full if you decide to RSVP (you will be taken to the payments page after you RSVP).

Please note you do not have to have a Paypal account to pay via Paypal. If you do not have a Paypal account, choose the option to 'pay with a debit or credit card' and fill in your card details, address, email etc as directed by the screen.

Please 'click here' (https://www.meetup.com/organize/pages/HOW_TO_PAY_ONLINE_WITHOUT_A_PAYPAL_ACCOUNT/) to view an organisers meetup group set-up with instructions and screenshots on how to pay without a Paypal account.

Payments are non-refundable unless the trip is cancelled or rescheduled. We hope members will understand that if we provided one person with a refund then every person would be entitled to a refund. If we allowed that to happen then we would risk losing the substantial amount we have already paid for the whole trip.

Organisation

While we have organised over 100 free events on our other meetup group (Friends in London Meetup), it would not be possible to plan trips of this scale without an organisation fee included in the price. Therefore, included in the cost of £34 will be a contribution to my brother and I for organising this trip.

Please also note that if there are still places available, we shall also organise this event on Friends in London as a joint meetup event. Friends in London is an all-inclusive general events meetup group with free membership and almost entirely free events. It's open to everyone (including all members of Day Trips from London). It's a very friendly meetup group where everyone is there to meet new people.

Finally

If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact us. We'll be more than happy to answer any queries. You can contact us at any time via email (click on organiser photographs for the 'send email' option) or by mobile phone after 6pm (0757 8360117).

Our first two trips were a real success. We're very confident this third trip will be another thoroughly enjoyable and exceptionally interesting day.

kind regards
Martyn and Terry